UK regulator issues $1.35 million penalty to white-label operator ProgressPlay

ProgressPlay Limited, an online gambling operator running 134 websites, has been fined £1 million ($1.35 million) by the UK Gambling Commission after a compliance assessment uncovered serious anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility shortcomings.

The company has also received an official warning and will be required to undergo an independent third-party audit to ensure its policies, procedures, and controls are being properly implemented.

The commission identified several anti-money laundering (AML) failings at ProgressPlay. These included failing to conduct an appropriate Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (MLTF) risk assessment, not adopting a sufficiently risk-based approach across its business, and carrying out inadequate scrutiny of customer transactions, particularly in relation to verifying the Source of Funds (SoF).

Social responsibility shortcomings were also highlighted. ProgressPlay had weak systems for monitoring customer activity at the point of account opening, limiting opportunities for early intervention where gambling-related harm might occur.

Its customer interaction policies did not fully comply with Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice requirements, and it failed to properly evaluate the effectiveness of its interventions, meaning it did not adequately assess ongoing risks or decide what further action might be required.

This is the second time ProgressPlay has faced regulatory action. In 2022, the operator paid £175,718 ($237,947) for similar failings around social responsibility and AML controls.

“Gambling businesses must have robust policies and procedures in place to protect consumers and ensure appropriate anti-money laundering controls are maintained,” John Pierce, Director of Enforcement and Intelligence at the Gambling Commission, said. “These measures must be actively implemented and regularly tested to confirm their effectiveness.”

The commission warned that repeated breaches will lead to tougher enforcement and urged all operators to review the failings in this case and strengthen their own systems.

ProgressPlay said it accepted the fine, noting the case relates to past activity and that it has since updated its processes. The company highlighted that it now operates with a dedicated responsible gambling and AML team, supported by an independent monitoring group.

“Rather than simply remediating past findings, we’ve invested £1.5 million ($2.03 million) in player protection technology and better AML handling,” ProgressPlay CEO Itai Lowenstein said. “This transformation goes far beyond compliance, it’s fundamentally changed how we understand and serve our customers.”